Silence Is The Best Music
by Andimpink
Summary: Hazel Harris is mute.She goes to the opera house to become a ballet girl. The phantom is intruged by her silence and wishes to learn more about her. Can he find out how to get her to talk or will he just fall in love with the young mute?
1. Chapter 1

I live in Paris, France and the year is 1881. My name is Hazel and I am currently thing that you should know about me: I am mute and have been mute since I was 9 years old after the accident. Before, I took singing lessons from my mother, Rosa, and piano lessons from my father, Edwin. Mother and father both agreed my voice could be compared to an angel's. Life back then was very good. Lessons were taught every night, me chasing leaves that blew in the wind, and most of all, hearing the great singers at the opera house.

One fine summer day, my parents took me to a party in town when we used to live at the edge of Paris. The party was very nice and had many people. We were very rich and had many connections within the great city. Ladies and their men spun around the ballroom stepping in time with the music. I laughed as my dad picked me up and started dancing with me. He was spinning me around and saying "You dance very fine, Hazel."

When the music stopped he sat me down and was about to give me a hug... _Bang! Bang! Bang! _Gunshots rang in my ears as I ran in fear to a table piled with food. I hid underneath and listened to some very masculine voices shouting at the party goers. Father's voice stood out from the rest and I knew he was doing something he would regret.

"How dare you come here and ruin this grand festivity! This is very lowly of you, peasants..." he said in disgust. _Bang!_ Mother screamed and ran over to his body; she began crying.

"Why do this? Who are you?" she questioned.

"Madame, we do this to teach you filthy rich people that we mean business. Your husband was a good friend of mine until he lost a bet against me. He was supposed to hand over all his fortune to me when he lost but instead, he decided to put it off until never! Never mind who we are, but people will remember who you _were_!" _Bang!_

I wasn't going to cry, for it would only make things worse. After I was sure the bad men had left I crawled out from underneath the table. Blood soaked my dress as I walked over to where father and mother lay. _Oh, this can't be happening!_ Both of my parents were dead and I had only one place to go: my mother's dear friend, Madame Giry. She worked at the Opera Populaire in town. There was some excitement of going there to train as a ballerina, but it quickly vanished when police men came running in.

"Get the girl out of here." one of them commanded. The man that was directed at me, walked over and knelt down to eye level.

"Did your parents get shot?" I nodded.

"Do you have somebody to stay with?" I nodded. "Who is it and where does he or she live?" I walked over to the doors and pointed at the opera house. Then I did a ballet move that I had seen mother doing just for fun. "Okay then miss, let's get you over there." he said. Quietly, we made our way to the beautiful Opera Populaire.

...

I watched her walk through the front doors and into the main hall of the opera house. _Who is this little girl and why is her dress covered in blood?_ The police officer walked her to the manager's door and knocked. After a little bit, he opened the door and allowed the two to enter. Quietly, I listened to the conversation through the secret tunnel in the wall.

"This is Hazel Harris. Her parents have been murdered today and she has told me that there is somebody here that can care for her." the officer said. "Oh and this person has to do with ballet."

"Well then, I will send for Madame Giry." Lefèvre said. The door opened and he sent for the ballet instructor. When she came he said "Ah, Madame, this is Hazel Harris. Do you know her or who her parents are?"

"I do monsieur. Her mother and I are good friends. Why do you ask?" she said. Lefèvre explained what happened. "Hazel, I will take care of you. Don't worry about a thing. Do you wish to train as a ballerina?" _ I wish I could see what was going on! Why isn't Hazel speaking?_ "Good then. Follow me, dear." Giry said.

I followed them through the opera house. They stopped for a while and stood on the stage. Giry looked up at me and nodded. "Why don't you get used to the stage while I go get a room prepared for you." she asked. Hazel plainly nodded. When the teacher left, I called out to the girl.

_Wandering child so lost; so helpless._

_Yearning for my guidance._

She jumped and looked around, but still was very quiet. _Who am I kidding? She still is in shock from her parents being dead and all._ I made myself be seen by her. When she saw me she smiled at me and continued to wait. _This girl is very strange. She has no idea who I am! _Giry returned and asked her what I had wanted to ask. "Hazel, you have to speak. Don't let your parent's death bring your beautiful voice into despair."

"I... I..." Hazel didn't finish. All she did was look at her feet.

...

Those were the last words I spoke. For the rest of those days, I trained as a ballerina. There wasn't a single minute I didn't spend thinking of the masked man who I soon learned to be the Opera Ghost. _Why did he show himself to me?_ The other ballet girls made fun of me for my silent ways, but some didn't. I made friends with Meg Giry, Madame Giry's daughter, and Christine Da`ae. They spoke to me and I would listen.

I longed to speak, but was scared to do so. When I was in my room all alone, I would try to talk. That didn't turn out so good in the end, so I gave up. The only way that I could express myself, was dancing and playing the piano. On days I had off from dancing, I would go find a room that had a single piano in it and play. There was something about the way I played that intrigued and scared Christine, but that was before she ran off with Raoul de` Changy.


	2. Chapter 2

Christine had run off with Raoul after the opera house had been rebuilt. I wasn't there during the fire that completely destroyed it, but people told me it was the Opera Ghost's little trick. From the day I set foot in the new opera house, I knew it would be different since Christine was gone. Meg was still sweet as usual, but once in a while she would think of Christine and cry. That is when I would step in and comfort her with a tap on the shoulder.

"Thank you, Hazel. You are such a dear friend." she would say and give me a hug. I would reply with a smile or nod; sometimes both. It was getting so hard to not long to hear my voice again. At times I would be fine, and then at others, I would die. Meg tried helping me talk one time, but we failed miserably with a few noisy squeaks. _What I wouldn't give to hear my voice!_

I walked to the piano room and sat down at the bench. In a few seconds, I was lost in the music.

...

Every time I heard Hazel playing the piano, I died inside. Her style reminded me of Christine in so many ways. I have always wondered if she could sing, but didn't have the guts to ask. _What would she do if I did ask her?_ The question hung in my mind. Once in a while I thought about taking her to my lair, but refrained from doing so. _She would be scared to death! Oh come on, Erik, she'd love it! No! I'm not taking chances. Be that way, coward!_

My head hurt from all the thinking I had been doing lately, but it was relieved when I heard a familiar tune being played on the piano.

...

My fingers flew across the piano. I was playing a melody that I heard Christine humming one day. It was so beautiful I figured I would learn to play it on piano. Hours upon hours were spent trying to play it, but my hard work finally paid off. Every note floated and filled my every sense. The room seemed to get brighter and brighter with every note. There was something dark about it though, and it scared me._ What is this song's name?_

All of a sudden, the room grew cold. I withdrew my hands from the cold keys. _What just happened! _My eyes flew all around the room. No matter how hard I looked, there was only me and the piano in the room. I stood to leave the room, but a voice made me halt.

"Hazel, continue playing. I will sing if you play." the voice said. Shaking in fear, I walked back to the piano and began playing the piano again. An angelic voice filled the room and harmonized with the notes coming from the piano.

_Nighttime sharpens; heightens each sensation._

_Darkness stirs and wakes imagination._

_Silently the senses abandon their defenses._

_Slowly, gently night unfurls its splendor._

_Grasp it; sense it, tremulous and tender._

_Turn your face away from the garish light of day;_

_Turn your thoughts away from cold, unfeeling light._

_And listen to the music of the night..._

I stopped playing because I hadn't gotten that far into the song yet. The voice had stopped as well. _Oh voice, please still be here. _Quickly I pressed a note and stared around the room. _What a fool I am making of myself._

"Don't panic, child. If you wish to see me, press the same note twice." the voice said. Softly, I pressed the same note twice. _Nothing happened!_ Suddenly, there was a squeaking noise coming from behind me. I turned to see what it was and found a passage way in the wall and a man standing there.

...

Her face looked surprised when she turned to see me. I smiled at her and beckoned her to follow me. Very timidly, she started following me down the passage ways of the opera house. Every once in a while, I would look behind me to make sure she was still there. Even if she wasn't, I doubt she could make it out.

"You cannot tell anybody about this. Do you promise me, Hazel?" I kept walking but looked behind to see her answer. She plainly nodded. We were nearing my lair when she tripped. I held out my hand so I could help her up. The answer she gave me was a warm stare that said "Thanks.". When she was up, we continued and eventually made it to our destination.

I was about to ask her what she thought, but I could tell she was fascinated. Her eyes took in every little detail of my nightly domain. Every so often, she nodded in approval at something. When she saw the organ, her eyes lit up. Slowly she sat down at it and began playing. The song was sad and dragging. Tears welled up into my ears from the beauty of the music. _This girl is one of music! She is a genius like me._

"I had no idea you played so well. Who taught you?" I asked. That's when I remembered. _She can't talk you idiot!_ I quickly grabbed a piece of paper, pen, and some ink. They were set down in front of her. She picked up the pen and dipped it in the ink. I watched as she scribbled down a few words which I soon read.

_Thank you. My father played the organ and he taught me before he was killed. I love your home. It is breath taking._

"So your father taught you. It is sad that you lost him." I sadly said. "And thank you for your compliment."

...

_Oh how I loved actually having a conversation with somebody!_ I soon learned the man's name to be Erik. It fit him very well. He was very handsome, strong, talented, and so musical. What more could a girl wish for! But one thing did pass my mind while I was sitting there. _Why does he wear a mask?_ I thought it would be rude to ask or just plainly take it off, so I didn't.

"You are wondering about my mask." Erik said. I blushed. He stood up and grabbed my wrist. _Ouch!_ His grip was crushing. "Never take off or ask about it! Is that understood?" he rose his voice. Full of fear, I nodded. Tears were coming to my eyes and I turned away. Finally, he let go and I fell to the floor. _Why would he do that?_ I snapped out of my daze when I heard him speak. "I am sorry, Hazel. You never would do something like that." he sadly said.

I wrote on the paper a reply: _I know I would never do something like that. I forgive you, Erik. It is late and I would like to retire to my room._ Erik read it. "Okay. Come now. People will start to wonder where you are."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

No matter how hard I tried, Erik was always in my mind. In the middle of pirouetting, I would think of his crystal blue eyes, but usually it ended when I was scolded by Madame Giry or when I fell. Meg began worrying about me after some time. She'd spend about thirty minutes out of the day to ask me if I was okay; which I found very irritating. A week had passed and I still hadn't heard or seen Erik.

That night, I quietly slipped away from the dormitories and found my way to the piano room. When I sat down at the piano and began to play, I felt Erik's dark presence. "You wish to see me?" he said. I turned to see him standing there; which caused me to smile and blush. Quickly I pulled out the pen and paper I brought with me.

_Yes. I do wish to see you. How have you been? _ Erik took the paper and read it. "I have been well." he plainly stated. _Erik, do you think you could help me learn to talk again? _He read the question. There were a few minutes of silence before he finally said something. "I guess I could, but how would we do it?" _Crap!_

I shook my head with much stupidity. Erik laughed. "Don't worry. We will find a way, Hazel." I shuttered as he said my name. It wasn't so much as he said it, but _how_ he said it. There was something he was hiding behind his voice and perhaps his mask as well. I didn't think it was a fashion thing going on there. _Maybe I should just take it off._ Erik was turned from me, so I took my chance.

He flinched and turned towards me as his mask dropped to the floor. His face was disfigured and red and blotchy.

...

I knocked Hazel to the ground. "I TOLD YOU TO NEVER TAKE IT OFF! NOW STARE AT MY DISGUSTING DISFIGURATION!" I yelled and pointed at my face. Filled with rage, I grabbed my mask and put it back on then seized Hazel by the wrist and began taking her down into my lair of night and darkness. We stopped to take a breather. "Hazel, why did you do it?" I asked. She was pale and her green eyes were filled with fear. _What have I done? _

When she made no notion of even nodding, I touched her shoulder. She shrank back from my hand. "I am so very sorry. How can you ever forgive me?" Hazel looked up at me and smiled. Suddenly, I was being hugged by her. I swore I heard her whisper "I'm sorry.", but how could she have. When we broke apart, she began running ahead of me.

"Hazel!" I called after her playfully. Never once in my adulthood had I felt like a child again. She came out nowhere and scared me to death, but I didn't let it show. I grabbed her around the waist and drew her close to me. "Don't do that again." She nodded. Her eyes were sparkling when mine met hers. _Does she love me?_ "Which way shall we go?" I asked. Hazel pointed back towards the piano room.

...

Erik and I stayed up all night talking (sort of). We talked about the upcoming opera and what one another of us thought about it, the new leading soprano, Maria Tabole, and of music. When Erik said it was time for us to part, I quickly wrapped my arms around him. "I'll miss you too. Don't worry though, I promise we will see each other very soon." he said, kissed my forehead, and left down the passage way. _He kissed me! My first real kiss from a man!_ I sat down at the piano and began playing a lively tune that had been running through my head all night.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN PHANTOM OF THE OPERA OR ANY SONGS USED IN THE STORY. THANK YOU.

_Sorry peoples for not updating recently. This was my last week of school and I have softball games and practices. Anyways, here's the next chapter. Please review._

Chapter 4

The next day during rehearsals, I was scolded about every five minutes. When I had returned to my room last night, it was quite impossible to fall asleep. I felt bad that he kissed me when I was already-. Music kept running through my mind with a voice singing as well; the voice was Erik's. It infiltrated my soul and filled my body with the strangest feeling. _What was that strange yet comforting effect his voice had on me?_

"Hazel! Keep your legs straight and your head held high! What is wrong with you today?" Madame Giry scolded. "I want you staying after rehearsals today." _Great! See what you have done, Hazel! _I knew I should have at least tried to get a few winks of sleep. When I looked over at Madame Giry, she was looking at me with a very stern, hard, ruthless look on it.

Afterwards, Madame Giry walked over to me and said "You have been seeing _him. _Don't try to deny it, Hazel." I dropped my gaze to my feet. "Hazel. You must be careful. Erik is not what he seems." she warned me. _Erik is everything I could ever wish for!_ I nodded plainly in response. She smiled at me and told me to go relax for a little while. I arrived at my room and was about to start reading a book, when suddenly Meg burst into the room.

"You must get ready, Hazel! The Vicomte de' Williams is visiting the opera house today!" she shouted as she grasped a hair brush and took it to my bronze hair. _Maxwell!_ I remembered when he and I used to play together as children when our parents went to parties we were not allowed at. After my parent's deaths, Maxwell had crossed my mind once in a while.

Quickly, Meg and I made our way to the stage where we were to meet the new patron. I hoped that he would remember me from our childhood. _"I will never forget you, Maxwell." I said. He replied "My angel, Hazel, I know you will never forget me and I will always remember you, forever and always."_ I blushed at the memory of the last time I saw him before he left for a school in England.

Andre and Firmin both made their way to the stage with Maxwell close behind. I stared right at his deep brown eyes. _Would he remember me? _He looked around the room and his eyes fell upon me; a smile suddenly crossed his face. "We would like to introduce all of you to the new patron, M. Maxwell Williams." Andre said. Firmin just plainly stood there.

"It is an honor to support the Opera Populaire. I can't wait to be here during the next opera." he said. Our eyes met and he mouthed the words: "Meet me backstage after this is over with". When the introduction was over, I quickly made my way backstage. As I arrived, I heard the familiar voice. "Hazel, I never forgot you."

...

I watched as the Vicomte laid his filthy eyes upon Hazel. She blushed as she saw him look at her. _Please don't let there be something between the two!_ I silently watched as he mouthed to Hazel to meet him backstage. _Not if I can't help that!_ How could she be in love with a stupid rich boy that is spoiled rotten? After all the people left the room, I followed Hazel. I heard a voice say "Hazel, I never forgot you."

She ran to him and wrapped her arms around him. My head filled with thoughts of murdering the poor fop that dare try taking her from me. His brown hair was short and simple, not to mention his brown eyes. They were small and made him look much younger than he was. Hazel pulled out the note pad I had given her and a pencil as well; she wrote something down.

"Hazel, I missed you too. I knew you would never forget." he said as he reached down to grab her hand. A single diamond ring sat upon her finger. _Why had I not noticed it earlier!_ She must have been engaged as a child to this Maxwell fellow. Again she jotted down more words. "Yes, my dear. We shall have our wedding soon. Why don't you speak?" he asked.

Silently I watched as she responded. Maxwell began crying and said "I am so sorry, Hazel. If only I had been there beside you." _I will confront her tonight and perhaps strangle the little bastard who dare take her from me._

...

I knew he was watching me. _Was he jealous of Maxwell and me?_ His face filled my mind and I cringed as I remembered him freaking out about it and yelling. "What's the matter, love?" Maxwell asked. I shook my head and wrote that I needed to go. Before he could protest, I ran from him. _Is he still the same person my parents engaged me to?_ That question ran through my mind as I made it to my room.

When I put my face into my pillow, I began crying. I should have told Erik I was engaged! I lay there wondering what he would do to me. _Knock, knock. _The knocking didn't come from the door, it came from a wall. Slowly, I walked over and as I touched the wall it slid open. Erik stood there with a angry look on his face. "Your chains are still mine! You belong to me!" he exclaimed.

Suddenly, he grabbed my hand and took me to his lair. Whenever I tried to break free, his grip tightened; by the time we reached the lair, I was pretty sure he had broken it. "Hazel, how could you not tell me? WHY?" I stayed silent. "So is that how it's going to be. Well in that case... YOU WILL NEVER SEE THE DAY OF LIGHT AGAIN OR IN YOUR CASE, DAY AT ALL!" Erik yelled at me. My hands were shaking, which caused my crushed one to hurt badly.

...

Maxwell's pov

Where is Hazel? Meg said that she was in her room, but when I arrived, all I found was a tear stained pillow and a hair ribbon. This was very odd and it worried me. _Maybe Madame Giry can tell me where Hazel is at the minute._


	5. Chapter 5

Lydiathetigeropean: So you think!

Chapter 5

Erik tied me to one of the swan bed's posts and just left me there. My wrists started hurting after about thirty minutes. _Oh, Erik. Poor, poor Erik..._ I somehow longed to call out to him. _Here goes the worst decision in my life!_ "E... Eri...Eri...Erik!" I stuttered, but finally managed to say his name. My voice was so soft. I thought perhaps that maybe if I shouted too loud, my voice would disappear. _Was Erik even in the lair?_

I kept saying his name until I fell into a deep sleep.

_I was running through the underground lake. "Erik!" I called out. My voice echoed and bounded off the walls. The brown, murky water I was standing in was freezing cold; so cold that it was getting harder to breathe. I continued to get lost in the underground passage ways. When I stopped to try to catch my breath, a figure emerged from the dark._

"_You called my angel." he said. For a few seconds I thought it was Erik, but then saw that it was Maxwell. He smiled and pulled me into his arms. His strong embrace warmed me to the bone. I looked up into his eyes and gasped. His eyes were blue instead of the normal brown! Maxwell smirked and began peeling off a mask to reveal Erik's face._

"_Did you think I wouldn't find your stupid Maxwell? Well I did and you shall see what he is now." Erik seized my arm and we began walking through the lake again. We finally came to a room. I gagged as I saw what was in it. Maxwell's head was hanging from the ceiling while his body lay crumpled on the ground. I hugged Erik._

_My arms quickly flew off of him. He was colder than the lake. Erik grinned at me and said "You chose him over me, my dear; now let's not make this happen again. Is that understood?" I nodded and suddenly felt something grabbing me around my waist. I turned to see a headless Maxwell standing there. Erik was gone when I turned around. "ERIK!"_

...

"ERIK!" I shot up from my organ. There was no mistaking, that was Hazel. As fast as I could, I ran to where I had bound her. She was thrashing wildly, causing the rope tied around her wrists to cut into her skin. _Dear lord! What have I done?_

"Hazel. Wake up!" I said loudly and shook her. Her eyes flew open and she was shaking.

"Erik?" she sort of asked. When she looked up at me, she began crying. _Why was she doing this?_

"Oh. My angel." I said trying to comfort her. That's when I realized it. _She said my name! She just spoke!_ "You just spoke. Not only that, but it was my name!" I said as I untied her wrists. Her left wrist was purple and swollen, as well as cut up pretty badly. The right one wasn't too bad, just cut. Quickly, I rushed to get some of my medical equipment which I put to work on working on Hazel's wrists.

...

"Madame Giry, would you please help me find Hazel!" I begged. The last hour and a half, I walked around trying to find her. After quite some time, I found her coming from her room.

"As you wish, messieur le' Vicomte. Hazel is with the Opera Ghost." she said. I laughed at her answer. _The Opera Ghost! Seriously, lady, that isn't possible. _"Don't laugh, for it is true. Messieur le' Vicomte, he has promised to help her speak again. And by the looks of things, he believes you are getting in the way."

"Oh, I am getting in the way, am I? Madame, it is he who is getting in the way. I could have doctors look at her and have them help her to speak. Plus, we are engaged and wish to be with my future wife for the time being." I said. _How could she be so ignorant!_

"Well, Maxwell, if you have any problems with it, I wouldn't dare mess with the Phantom." She said. With those final words she waved goodbye and strode away from me. How can I love a woman who runs off with another man! Maybe it was time I left...

...

Erik quickly understood my nightmare. He held me close and begged for forgiveness of his ruthlessness. I nodded to say I did. Then I remembered: Maxwell's ring. Quickly, I grabbed it off my finger. Erik suddenly looked at the hand in which I held the ring. Before he could grab it, I chucked it into the lake. _I don't need Maxwell to be happy. Mother and father are dead so I am no longer under their jurisdiction. I shall remain un-engaged until I find the perfect man for me. _Erik read what I ever so quickly wrote down.

"Your wish is my command." Erik said. I wrapped my arms around him and felt the strangest feeling that _he_ is the one for me. I realized that Erik felt something to by the look in his eyes. "Don't even think about me like that, Hazel. You do not want me to be the _one_." he said. I sighed and wrote: _As you wish, my dear Erik, but I will always think of you like this._

Erik began crying. "Erik." I said. He looked down at me from where he stood. His crystal blue eyes burnt into my mind; they are beautiful. I took his hands into mine. Then I held them to my face. I mouthed: "Erik, I love you." That is when he took his hands and put them around my waist. He drew me in and our lips met for the first time.

For what seemed like hours, I forgot about everything. Maxwell never crossed my mind, nor did Madame Giry, my parents, Meg, or anybody else. I felt my heart soaring and knew Erik was my wings. _He loves me!_ When we pulled apart, Erik kissed my hand and we parted. _Maxwell is not who I love anymore. I will eventually break it to him._

...

Third person pov

The room was empty except for a single man and a gun. Maxwell seized the gun and loaded it. He thought it was time to _leave_ this world that had torn so much away from him. As he put the gun to his head, he heard himself and Hazel laughing together as children. A single tear rolled down his cheek and with that... _bang!_


	6. Chapter 6

I love all the reviews that are coming. Lydiathetigeropean, I will explain it in this chapter just for you! Everybody just keep on reviewing. Thank you!

Chapter 6

I couldn't bring myself to do it. I pulled the trigger and pointed it above my head. _What were you thinking, Maxwell? You have to go after her!_ Quickly, I put the gun away and left the room to find Madame Giry again.

...

I spun around my room with joy. _I can speak a single word! Even though it's only one, it is a big step into the process._ How happy I felt when Erik and I kissed. We were part of each other and there was nothing that could split us apart. I had to go find Maxwell and break the news to him. _What if he takes me away? I would never see Erik again!_ No matter what, it had to be done.

When I saw him, he was walking down a hallway. I ran to Maxwell and tapped on his shoulder. He spun around quickly and gasped when he saw me. "Hazel! You scared me to death. Where were you?" he said. I wrote on my notepad: _I was with Erik, my friend and the love of my life. Maxwell, mother and father are gone now and it is my decision who to marry. Please don't be mad; we can still be friends._

"Friends? FRIENDS! Hazel, I love you and want to be with you forever. Why do you have to break my heart?" he said, obviously hurt and a little angry. I replied: _I belong with the one __I __love! You have no idea how much I love Erik. We are closer than you and I ever was! This is goodbye, Maxwell, I will always think of you as a friend. _"... No." Maxwell said. "I won't let you leave me. Not this time, Hazel. Not ever."

I didn't understand, but had the guts to run from him. My feet flew through the opera house and up to the roof. Hopefully, I had lost him and Erik would save me. When I reached the roof, I hid behind a statue. "Hazel! HAZEL!" Maxwell yelled. As soon as I was sure that he was gone, I stepped out of my hiding place and walked to the edge of the roof. _The view up here is amazing!_

...

Silently, I followed Hazel to the roof just to make sure that Maxwell wouldn't find her. When she came out from behind the statue, she walked to the edge of the building. _Hazel, be very careful!_ I came out of my hiding place and walked over to her. "It is beautiful up here, isn't it?" I said. She jumped when she heard my voice, but then smiled at me.

"I am very glad that you didn't run off with the Vicomte." I said. The look on her face said that she was happy as well. I hugged her around the waist and held her close to me. Suddenly, I felt like singing.

_Say you'll share with me one love; one lifetime._

_Lead me, save me from my solitude._

_Say you'll want me with you; here beside you._

_Anywhere you go, let me go to._

_Hazel, that's all I ask of you!_

She was crying when she nodded. "Thank you, Hazel. I love you." I said and kissed her. Hazel turned to walk inside and I followed her. When she was going to her room, Madame Giry stepped in front of her.

"Hazel. Come with me. You too, Erik." she said. Hazel looked at where I was hiding and motioned for me to follow. We were led into the piano room. I closed the door behind us and looked at my dear old friend. "You do know that what you are doing is not safe." she said.

"We do know, Madame. That is why I plan on leaving the Opera Populaire and take Hazel with me." I said.

...

_Leave the opera house?_ I could imagine every bit of the excitement; also all the time Erik and I would spend together. Quickly, I wrote down something on my notepad: _Madame Giry, you have always been like a mother to me since my mother died. Please, you have to understand Erik and me._

"Hazel. I do understand you, but Maxwell won't. In fact, he doesn't at all. That is why you must leave tonight. He confronted me and said that he was going to take you from here. Erik, you must hide until you and Hazel leave." she said. I looked over at Erik. He nodded and said to me to get ready to leave. _This is what I want, maybe..._

...

I listened to their conversation from the other side of the door. _Madame Giry, you lying scum bag!_ How dare she warn Hazel and that man about my plan? _She will pay for her slip-up._ I quickly hid as Hazel and Madame Giry walked out of the room. They both went straight to Hazel's room; I silently followed them.

"Hazel. Promise to be careful on your trip." Madame Giry said; I was eavesdropping again. "Good. Now let's pack up your dresses. Do you need a cloak?"

When Madame exited the room, I quickly went inside it. To my surprise, Hazel was missing. _How is that possible? There is no other way out of the room besides the door; unless there is a secret passage!_ I looked but couldn't find it. My anger took control and I smashed the mirror that was embedded in the wall. The glass fell to the ground and revealed a passage way.


	7. Chapter 7

Hey everybody! Just wanted to let you know, I made a new story that I know you will like! It's a crossover between The Phantom of the Opera and Swan Lake. Check it out if you have time. Anyways, here is the next chapter! Please review and if you want, give me some ideas for the next chapter!

Chapter 7

Erik and I were about to leave through a passage way behind a smashed mirror, when we heard splashing. Erik quickly turned around. "So there is an opera ghost and my fiancé is with him." _Uh oh! _How did Maxwell find his way down here and not step on a single trap? "Come now, Hazel. We are getting married still." Maxwell said with my back turned to him.

"She isn't going anywhere, Messieur le' Vicomte. Now if you please, we shall be on our way." Erik said, trying hard not to lose his temper.

"Don't try my patience, Phantom. I have connections and will have them hunt you down to the ends of the Earth." Maxwell said.

"Messieur, there are no ends of the Earth because the Earth is round." Erik retorted. That is when I stepped in between the two men. They both stared at me with much confusion.

"Hazel." They said simultaneously said. I shook my head and stared at the floor.

"You must come with me Hazel. It is not proper for a engaged lady to run off with another man. Don't make me force you."

"N... no." I said. Maxwell looked surprised. Quickly, I ran to Erik and held on to his side.

"Hazel. You leave me no choice." Maxwell smirked and pulled out a pistol. My eyes grew wide in fear; the gun was pointing straight at Erik. "Make your choice!"

"Run. Go through the passage way. I will catch up later. Don't stop until you reach the edge of town. There should be an inn there. GO NOW!" Erik said and I ran for it. _Erik. Why do I have to leave you behind?_ I was coming upon a door when I heard the gunshot. _No!_ Tears came to my eyes as I opened the door and I walked out into the dimming sunlight. _Erik... please be okay._

After about 15 minutes of running, I grew tired and began walking. The sun had set and I couldn't see where my feet were going. I tripped about 7 times and probably had scraped my knees. When I reached the inn, I remembered I didn't have any money. With much stupidity, I put my hands in my cloak. _What's this in here?_ I grabbed whatever it was and found it to be 100 francs.

_Thank you, Madame Giry._ I made my way inside. A man sat at the front desk writing on a piece of paper. He looked up at me, smiled, and then said "Hello. What can I do for you?" I pulled out my notepad and wrote: _I need two rooms. My friend should be here sometime within the next hour. How much will it cost?_

"It will cost 75 francs, mademoiselle." I handed over the money to him and he handed me one of the keys. "I'll save this one for your friend. What's his or her name?"

"Erik." I said and turned to leave. When I got to the room, I plopped down on the bed. _Erik. I hope you are okay._ _I don't know what I would do without you. _There was no way I would be going back to the opera house. It wouldn't be the same without Erik. Slowly, I drifted off into a deep sleep.

When I woke up, I decided to go see if Erik had gotten his key. I got dressed and went down to the front desk. The man was still there, but was sleeping, so I tapped him on the head. He quickly sat up. "What do you want! Oh. It's just you. Your friend isn't here if you were wondering." he said. _What am I to do now? I can't keep paying for two rooms._ I didn't even have any clean clothes to change into either.

I walked out into the brisk cold morning. A carriage was coming down the road. Two black horses pulled it and a cloaked man drove them. There was something just not right about it. It pulled up beside me and stopped. "Get in." the man said.

"No" I said and continued to walk away. Suddenly, I heard footsteps behind me and I booked it. The man was running after me. _Will I be able to outrun this man?_ I ran through some trees and stopped behind one and tried catching my breath; I heard a twig snap. Before I could run again, the man grabbed my arm and spun me around to face him.

He pulled off his hood and I gasped. "Erik!"


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"Erik!" She yelled. _Did you have to yell?_ My head hurt from when I was hit in the head by Maxwell. As soon as Hazel had left, I did my disappearing act. Maxwell stared around the room trying to figure out where I was hiding. Quickly, I ran up behind him and grabbed the gun from his hands. For a few minutes we wrestled around the lair; in the process, knocking mostly everything on the floor. When I was about to punch Maxwell in the face, he brought his fist around and knocked me pretty good in the side of the head.

I was dazed for a few seconds, but quickly recovered. As soon as I saw the chance, I knocked Maxwell to the ground and kicked in the head just hard enough so that he'd be knocked out. After I was sure he was out cold, I grabbed the luggage; mine and Hazel's. When I made it outside, I walked a few blocks and found where I hid my horse, Accipitrem De' Nocte (Hawk of the Night). He stood there hooked up to the carriage I had "borrowed" and ready to go. I tossed the bags inside and took off to find Hazel.

"Please no more yelling, Hazel." I said. She looked down at her feet. "It's not you, Hazel. Come, we must leave now." Silently, she opened the carriage door and hopped in. As soon as the door was closed, I put Accipitrem into a trot and we began our long journey to Nante. It would take us at least 10 days to reach there. _Let's just hope we make it there without running into any problems._

...

I stared out the carriage window feeling very sad to be leaving the place I had lived for my entire life. _Goodbye, my sweet Paris. I will remember you forever and always._ Tears filled my eyes and I couldn't hold them back. Silently I sobbed into my cloak that Madame Giry gave to me. Memories filled my mind, whether they were good or bad it didn't matter. I knew that this was for the best and thought I should make the most out of it as I can.

My heart stopped when I saw the house sitting upon a hill. It couldn't be, but it was. I sadly gazed at my old home. _No, I won't cry over that anymore. I have spent so many years crying about this and I won't take it any longer._ Suddenly, I heard a voice from above.

_"Hazel, don't cry for us anymore. We are with you where ever you may go."_

_"My little Hazelnut, follow where your flawless heart may lead you and don't forget that you are a wonderful dancer. Never neglect your practice"_. My father's voice was completely recognizable.

My mother's voice was very clear. _"Hazel, enjoy your little adventure. We will always love you..."_ I stopped crying at that moment. My lips were shaking and my head was spinning.

"Mo... mother and fa... father, I... love... you too." the words barely poured out of my mouth. _I can talk again!_

"Erik! Erik, stop the carriage!" I yelled. Suddenly the carriage came to an abrupt halt. The door to the carriage flew open.

"What's the matter, Hazel... you... you just talked?" Erik stammered and I nodded. _Don't nod anymore!_

...

"Yes, Erik. I can talk again." Hazel said. Her voice was soft and gentle like a butterfly's wings. She was beaming and her eyes were bright with excitement, as well as red from tears. I pulled her into my arms and held her there. _My angel can speak and in astonishment, I am speechless!_ When she finally pulled away, she said "We should be on the way again, I suppose."

"Good idea, Hazel." I replied and we both resumed to our positions. Accipitrem whinnied at me and I knew he was anxious to be moving again, so I took the reins into my hands and we took off down the road. _I wonder what got Hazel to speak again, but now isn't the time to ask. She will tell me when we stop for the night._

...

When I woke up, I was lying on the cold stone floor of the secret lair. My head was reeling and when I stood, I had to grab a table to stop myself from falling. _Ouch, that fool will pay for taking my Hazel._ As fast as my hurting head would let me, I made my way back to where I entered the underground. I walked through the opera house and made my way to the stable.

I walked into the stable yard and asked a stable hand to fetch my horse and saddle it. He quickly nodded and ran to get my horse. I watched as the young boy had trouble saddling my pure bred Arabian. When he was finished, I payed him 2 francs and he ran happily away. I turned and broke into a full gallop. Where I was going was an unforgivable place where not paying a debt would be fatal.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Erik and I barely spent any time with each other since we left Paris. I got lonely very fast and quite bored. _What I wouldn't give for just thirty minutes to spend with Erik._ The only time we did get to actually talk to each other was when we were eating or going to sleep, but even then it wasn't that long.

It was the third day of our journey. I was sitting in the carriage being bored as usual, when I randomly started singing a song that had been running through my mind for the last two days. My voice was gentle yet had a force of energy that gave it an amazing tone. I must have gotten my voice from my mother who was a soprano. _If only Erik could hear me..._

_Through the window of my soul  
All the secrets that I hold  
Will be yours to share for always, always  
Like a whisper in the wind  
A gentle breeze touches my skin  
And I know you're with me always, always  
I can feel it in the air  
The fire that we share  
Can only come from deep within  
It's a light that burns so bright  
It guides you through the night  
And leads you to me  
So find your way back and  
Hold me, touch me  
Let the love come rushing through me  
I'm yours with every breath I take  
Forever and ever  
Hold on to love  
Cause deep down that's what we're made of  
Never let go for my heart's sake  
Cause my heart belongs to you  
I lie awake to hear you breathe  
Only you can fill the need  
That builds and burns so deep inside me, inside me  
As the moon lights up the sky  
There's a thousand reasons why  
That my heart will only beat for you  
You're the reason that I live  
So now all I've got to give  
I give it to you  
Just don't fight the feeling  
Hold me, touch me  
Let the love come rushing through me  
I'm yours with every breathe I take  
Forever and ever  
Hold on to love  
Cause deep down that's what we're made of  
Never let go for my heart's sake  
Cause my heart belongs to you  
Don't give up but just give in  
I will always be here waiting for you  
Love will see us through  
Hold me, touch me  
Let the love come rushing through me  
I'm yours with every breathe I take  
Forever and ever  
Hold on to love  
Cause deep down that's what we're made of  
Never let go for my heart's sake  
Cause my heart belongs to you  
My heart belongs to you  
My heart belongs to you  
My heart belongs to you  
My heart belongs to you…only you_

I finished the song and stared out the window. We were going through a forest and it was dark due to the light being blocked by the branches above. Suddenly, the carriage came to an abrupt stop. "Ooof!" I said as I was flung to the floor of the carriage. I sat up again and wondered what was going on outside. When I was about to open the door, it was flung open and Erik was standing there cloaked. He grabbed my arm and we began to run through the forest.

"Erik, stop running!" I yelled. Erik stopped and turned to me. "Why are we running? Did Maxwell stop us or something?"

"My dear, I work for Maxwell." a man said and removed the hood of his cloak. He looked like he hadn't showered in days and smelt like it two. "Now we shall return to Paris, mademoiselle."

"No, I won't go with you!" I yelled and punched the man in the stomach and ran for my life. My arms were getting scratched as I ran through the bushes and trees. The man was catching up to me, but I kept running. I was about to circle back around my pursuer, when I fell through a hole in the ground. The hole was deep and the only light was coming from the gash in the grass I made.

"Where did she go?" I fell silent as the man ran off. _Great! How am I supposed to get out of this hole?_ I thought about calling out for Erik, but feared that the man who worked for Maxwell would find me. As soon as I was sure my pursuer was gone, I attempted getting out of the hole. It was hard and it took me about 45 minutes, but I eventually managed to climb out. Covered in dirt and sweat, I tried finding my way back to the road.

...

"You lost the girl?" I heard a man shout.

"Yes, I did. She packed a pretty wicked punch to my stomach and ran like the wind. I never knew that a girl was capable of so much agility." My eyes flittered open and I saw I was in the forest with the carriage and Accipitrem as well as two men. Accipitrem whinnied softly at me and made me smile. Silently, I squirmed over to the black Friesian and sat up. I smiled as I heard munching sounds right behind me. When the ropes that bound my arms snapped, I stood up.

"Hey! How'd you get free." the supposed leader said. I made my way over to him and knocked him upside the head with my fist; he fell like a stone to the ground. I turned to find the other man and saw he was gone. _Who was the girl they were... Hazel!_ Without thinking, I flung the doors to the carriage open and saw what was missing from inside. _How could I have let her get taken? Who knows what those men could have done to her._

Accipitrem neighed and I walked over to him and began removing the burden of the carriage from his back. "Good boy. Now, let's go find Hazel before sunset." I whispered into his ear as I mounted his silky hide. With a gentle kick to the sides, we made our way deeper into the forest. _Hazel, I promise to find you and never let you go again._

The song in this chapter is My Heart Belongs to You by Hayley Westenra. Reviews are required for this chapter (just kidding), but please do.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

When I woke up from where I lay on the ground, I couldn't stand up. My entire body ached and screamed at me to not move a muscle. _Where... am I? _That's when I remembered everything that happened today. My head was spinning and it hurt like no tomorrow. _Erik! What did those men do with Erik?_ Suddenly, I doubled over in pain and spilled what was in my stomach next to me. The puddle reeked and I was barely able to get away from it so I wouldn't end up doing the same thing again.

I lay on my back and stared up at the sky. It was filled with stars and the moon shone brightly down upon me. The mountains in the distance danced in the moonlight and the world around me began swaying to and fro. In the background of the sickening motion, hoofs thundered through the forest coming straight towards me. _Dear god, don't let it be that man who tried taking me to Maxwell!_

As quick as I could a stood up and hid behind a tree. Very soon, a familiar voice sounded in my ears. _Erik!_ I let myself fall to the ground next to the tree before passing out. Right as my eyes were shutting, I smelt the scent I longed to smell in a very long time

...

Suddenly, I saw a body fall next to a tree. Accipitrem nudged me towards it and I stared in horror of what I saw. My angel was covered in dirt from head to toe, there were many cuts on her arms and face, which were bleeding, and there was a giant bump on her head. _What has happened to my Hazel?_ Gently, I scooped her up into my arms and carried her to Accipitrem. When I made a clicking noise, he knelt down so I could easily put Hazel upon his back.

Twenty minutes passed and we were back at the carriage. I saw that the man who used to lay unconscious on the ground was gone. I pulled out a quilt from inside the carriage and laid it down on the ground so I could put Hazel there. As soon as I made her as comfortable as I could, I eagerly set to work on cleaning her up. I wiped the dirt away from her skin, dressed her wounds, and placed a cloth wet in the river upon her forehead.

I sat there next to her for 5 days. Not once did she stir, nor speak. When I was on the brink of giving up all hope for her survival, I noticed that she was saying something under her breath. Barely, I made out what she was saying my name and a few other non-understandable words_._

"Hazel, I am here. How do you feel? Do you need anything?" I asked.

"How about a ki..." she mumbled. _A ki..., what is that? _"Erik, a kiss... for you...r child..."

My heart stopped beating. _My child... I hadn't even done that!_ I then realized she was dreaming. I pondered what she was dreaming about and didn't see her sit up as fast as she could. "ERIK!" she screamed.

...

_ I was sitting in a very soft bed staring out the window to the ocean. 'Where am I? Where's Erik?' I thought. Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my stomach. I lifted up the covers and saw a giant mound where my stomach should have been. 'A child? I am bearing some man's child?'_

_ "Mistress, are you okay?" came a voice from the other side of the door. The door was opened and I saw a young girl wearing and apron. "You finally woke up. Master Destler has been so worried about you. After you became ill, he locked himself in his study and refused to come out." 'Who is this Destler guy?'_

_ "Who are you and where are we?"_

_ The girl looked puzzled, but answered my question. "Mistress, I don't know why you are acting strange, but I am your maid, Maria DeChalent, and we are at your seaside home, in Nante."_

_ "Thank you Maria, now I'd like to know where Erik is?" I asked but realized she was no longer in the room. There were boots thundering down the hall way outside the room I was in. The door flew open and Erik was standing there smiling._

_ "How are you faring today, love?" he asked. 'Erik, how I have longed to see you'_

_ "Fine, quite fine, Erik." I replied. Before I knew it, Erik was lying beside me stroking my stomach. 'Well this just got a heck of a lot awkward..."_

_ "Do you need anything, Hazel?" Erik asked me. "How is __our__ child?"_

_ 'Erik is the child's father?'"How about a ki..." I mumbled sleepily. "Erik, a kiss for your child..."_

_ I looked to find Erik but he was no longer beside me. I stood and walked into the ill lit hall. At the end of the hall was Maxwell ant I made a hasty retreat when I saw the knife in his hand. The door slammed open and I hid farther into the back of the closet._

_ "Hazel, do come out. I have something for you!" Maxwell said with a tone that scared the dickens out of me. My body was pressed into the corner of the closet, but I still felt too exposed due to my rotundas belly. The closet door opened and I soon saw Maxwell smile at me. 'No! No!' Maxwell closed the door behind him and licked his lips._

_ "That child could have been ours, Hazel." Maxwell licked his lips yet again and took a step towards me. "But I now see that you have something that does not belong to me on the way." I stared at the glimmering dagger in his hands as he brought it up. "Maybe you shall someday bear a gift of my child." Maxwell's tongue swept across the blade and I screamed for Erik as he brought the dagger down upon my stomach _

"ERIK!" I screamed. My head was pounding and I felt like I was dying. I looked around and found that Erik was sitting next to me with a frightened look on his face. Tears began streaming down my face.

"Shh, Hazel, don't cry." his voice soothed my headache and I felt safe in his arms. For quite some time we sat there in the forest; Erik hopelessly holding me close to his body. When I finally calmed down, it became deathly silent, but Erik's voice soon broke the silence. "You must be filled in on what happened while you were unconscious." I was quiet as Erik told me about when he found me how he brought me back here and fixed me up.

"Thank you, Erik." I said staring up at him. The sun shined down and mad the edges around his face glow. I smiled at the thought of Erik being my angel and remembered: _he is!_

"Hazel, while you were out, you were mumbling about something quite strange." Erik said. I grew rigid and held my breath for what was coming. _How much had I said and what did I say?_ "You said..." my heart lurched to a halt as he said the exact words I said "You asked me to give a kiss to our child." I slapped myself in the face. _Why must I sleep talk!_


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"Hazel, do you want to talk about the dream before we set off?" I asked her. I looked at her with pleading eyes.

She shook her head and said "Not today, nor tomorrow, and absolutely not ever." Before I could protest she climbed in the carriage and slammed the door shut. _Damn! Was it all that bad?_ I put Accipitrem into a trot and we continued our journey. We traveled for 4 days and it was nearing noon when we reached a small town. The town was nearly empty except for a few people wandering the streets.

A man walked over to the carriage and motioned for me to stop. "You might want to not leave this place. What lies ahead is a group of bandits, monsieur. They steal whatever they want and kill without a single care. Please, monsieur, think this through."

_Bandits, my dear good friend? _I pulled forward leaving the man in the dust. _No bandits are touching anything that belongs to me._ Without stopping again for warnings, Hazel and I were out of the wretched town in no time.

...

"YOU FOOL! HOW COULD YOU HAVE LOST HER AND THE MAN?" I screeched. _These two are pathetic!_ "You lose them one more time and I swear... you won't live more than three seconds when I see you."

"Yes, monsieur Maxwell, we won't fail again." Gabe said. Augustus nodded in agreement as they both were about to leave.

"Oh and one more thing gentlemen... bring me the ballet instructor at the opera house." I smirked and turned my back on them. _She is going to get what's coming to her..._

...

I was staring out the window the entire time we were in town. The people look scared of something. When we stopped for a man, I had no idea what Erik was doing, but then I heard part of the conversation. _Bandits up ahead! Erik please don't go forward, we can take a different route._ The carriage lurched forward and a clutched my head. _Erik, I hope you know what you were doing._

We exited the town and were on our way again. My hands were shaking with fear of losing Erik again. Maybe I was worrying too much about what I heard._ I won't lose Erik anytime soon._ Suddenly, the carriage stopped. Erik opened the door and this time I was sure it was him. "Erik that is you right?" I asked.

Erik nodded. "Grab your suitcase and a blanket or two." he said. I quickly grabbed my suitcase, cloak, and two quilts. Erik had already grabbed his suitcase and two quilts as well. I was helped onto Accipitrem's back and Erik quickly was holding the reigns with his arms around me. Without noticing, I blushed and Erik saw. "Is somebody blushing?" _Oops!_

"Erik what are we doing?" I asked.

"We have to take a different route because of the bandits; because of it, we have to leave the carriage behind." Erik answered my question.

"How close are we to Nante?" I asked as Accipitrem started to trot.

"We should reach there by tomorrow night if we travel until sunset."Without another word, I leaned my head back on Erik and fell asleep.

...

Hazel was asleep as we made it to an inn at the side of the road. The path I took to get around the bandits was long, but I made it. I put Accipitrem into a stable after I had a stable boy take all our stuff inside. With Hazel asleep in my arms, I went inside and had got a room. Gently, trying not to wake Hazel up, I placed her in the bed. _Whew! I have gotten better at that!_ I climbed in next to her and held her around the waist.

Her lips curled into a smile and she sighed._ I love her, Erik. Of course you do, stupid!_ After about five minutes, I too succumbed to sleep. When I woke up, Hazel was awake, but still lying next to me. "Why didn't you get up?" I asked.

She blushed and said "I didn't want to wake you up." After she said that, she stared up at the ceiling with a distant look. "Erik about that dream I had..." she began.

"Hazel, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to." I interrupted.

"I think it would help if I got it off my shoulders and talked to you about it." I nodded and let her speak. "I was lying in a bed and the room I was in was small, yet it was a fine room. Out of nowhere, I felt a pain jolt in my stomach. Slowly, I peeked under the covers to see..." _Please don't let it be..._ "I was pregnant. Whose child it was, I didn't know at the time. A maid walked into the room and I asked her a few questions. She said something along the lines that my husband was this Destler guy." I froze to where I stood. _That's my last name..._ "When I went to ask her another question, she was gone. The Destler guy came to the door and I found that it was you. We talked and then you asked if I needed anything and how our child was doing." Hazel stopped when she saw the color leave my face. "Erik, I can stop if you want me to."

"No, go on Hazel, you need to get it off your shoulders." I gulped.

"Okay. I answered by saying fine and that a kiss for our child would make me happy. When I turned to find you, you weren't there. I stood up and walked into the hall. I looked down at the other end if the hall to find Maxwell holding a dagger. Quickly, I hid in the closet in my room, but he found me and started saying creepy things. Before I woke up, he brought the dagger down on my stomach." she finished and was panting.

"Oh, my poor Hazel." I hugged her around the waist. "I'm sorry for not protecting you better."

"It'll do us no good sitting here crying, Erik. Let's get cleaned up and on the road again." Hazel said pulling herself out of bed. I quickly did the same. Within thirty minutes, we were both ready to make the final leg of our journey.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Nante was a beautiful city. I stared in amazement at the ocean. The grey ocean's waves pulled my mind towards it. I had never seen the ocean before in my life. Erik told me that where we would be staying is right next to the ocean and that made me really excited. _Wait a second! A house in Nante next to the ocean... my dream._ The color left my face, but Erik never saw. We came upon a dusty road that led up to a house with a barn next to it.

The house was two stories and was a beautiful lavender color. The barn was red and white. Erik climbed off of Accipitrem and helped me down. I ran to the cliff next to the house and stared in amazement. Below me was a beach and the gray water that called my name. The salty air filled my nose and I sighed. Suddenly, I felt arms around my waist and I knew it was Erik.

"Hazel, do you like it here..." Erik didn't finish and I could tell. "Do you like it here with me?" _Of course I do, Erik! I love you with all my heart._

"I do love it here, with you Erik." I turned my head towards him and he kissed me. I heard him begin humming a song. Then he began singing to the melody.

_Come stop your crying, it will be all right  
Just take my hand; Hold it tight  
I will protect you from all around you  
I will be here, don't you cry  
For one so small, You seem so strong  
My arms will hold you  
Keep you safe and warm  
This bond between us can't be broken  
I will be here, don't you cry  
'Cause you'll be in my heart  
Yes, you'll be in my heart, from this day on  
Now and forever more  
You'll be in my heart  
No matter what they say  
You'll be here in my heart, always _

Tears came to my eyes._ Oh Erik, you are amazing._

___[__Why can't they understand the way we feel?  
They just don't trust what they can't explain  
I know we're different but, deep inside us  
We're not that different at all._

My heart was doing flips in my throat and I cried there in his warm embrace.

_'Cause you'll be in my heart  
Yes, you'll be in my heart, from this day on  
Now and forever more  
You'll be in my heart  
No matter what they say  
You'll be here in my heart, always  
__[ Lyrics from: p/phil+collins/youll+be+in__  
Don't listen to them 'Cause what do they know?  
We need each other; to have, to hold  
They'll see in time, I know  
When destiny calls you, you must be strong  
I may not be with you, but you've got to hold on  
They'll see in time, I know  
We'll show them together _

Erik hugged me tighter against him. I put my arms up like a birds wings and let the ocean breeze blow my hair in all directions. _Erik, you are my wings. You make me soar higher everyday and I am carried away by what you do. _I didn't feel Erik's grip around me anymore. When I turned to see where he was, I saw him down on one knee.

_'Cause you'll be in my heart  
Yes, you'll be in my heart, from this day on  
Now and forever more  
You'll be in my heart  
No matter what they say  
You'll be here in my heart, always  
__[ __Oh, you'll be in my heart (You'll be here in my heart)  
No matter what they say (I'll be with you)  
You'll be here in my heart,  
I'll be there always_

My breathing sped up and I covered my mouth. Erik pulled out a silver ring with a ruby rose on it. _Yes, Erik, I will marry you!_ I nodded with excitement and began crying even harder. Slowly, I put my hand down to Erik and he placed the ring on my finger. Erik stood up and hugged me.

_Always  
I'll be with you  
I'll be there for you always  
Always and always  
Just look over your shoulder,  
Just look over your shoulder,  
Just look over your shoulder,  
I'll be there always..._

"Oh, Erik..." I said still locked in his arms. "I love you very much." Erik began stroking my hair and rocking me back and forth. I felt like I could stay there forever.

"I love you too, Hazel." Erik whispered. "Don't ever doubt that I do."

...

_She cried with joy! _I held her in my arms for what seemed like hours. When she drew back, I grew sad. "C'mon Erik, we need to get inside and get unpacked." _Good idea, Hazel._ We quickly carried our stuff inside and explored the house. I found a study as well as a music room with a piano. After I explored for a little while, I went to find Hazel. She was sitting in the window sill of a bedroom, studying the ring I gave her. The room was a lovely shade of red and had a bed, vanity, closet, and dresser.

"What are you doing, Hazel?" I asked. She jumped at my question and realized it was just me.

"Nothing." she replied. _Was that sadness in her eyes?_ I walked over and put my hands on her shoulders.

"What's the matter, Hazel? You know you can't hide anything from me." I asked.

"I miss the opera house, Madame Giry, Meg, Paris..." she sighed. _Oh, my poor angel._

"At least you are safe and can write them." I said trying to be cheerful. Her face lit up.

"That is a wonderful idea, Erik! May I please have a piece of paper and pen." she asked. I went over to the vanity and opened a drawer. Inside was a bottle of ink, quill, and paper. I pulled what she asked for out and set it on the vanity.

"There you go, Hazel! Now if you excuse me, I will be going into to town to get some groceries." and with that, I turned and headed out.

...

_Dear Madame Giry,_

_This is Hazel. How are you and Meg faring? How is the opera house doing? Erik and I had a very nice trip except for a few moments. One day, Erik and I got separated by this man whom works for Maxwell. I was so beat up from that day; I became unconscious from my tired body and mind. It wasn't before too long that Erik found me though. We weren't separated again and now we are bound by an engagement! How I wish that you could see and __hear__ me now! Yes I can speak again, finally. Please write me back soon! _

_Your dearest, _

_Hazel._

I left the letter on the vanity and looked around the room. _This is the room from my dream. _Without thinking, I went out into the hallway. _As well as this hall!_ My heart began thumping in my throat as I heard the front door slam open and voices speaking.

"Find the girl or else Maxwell will have our heads."

"Yes sir! Where should I look, Gabe?"

I didn't hear anymore because I retreated into the bedroom. Childishly, I hid underneath the bed. The bedroom door was opened and I fell silent as a rock. All I could see was the boots of the person but I knew it was my pursuer from the forest; he reeked. _Erik, please return soon!_ Suddenly, I saw the boots leave the room and then heard the door slam closed.

Slowly, I crawled out from underneath the bed and sat on it. _Whew! That was a close one._ I curled up in the bed and soon fell asleep. The last thing I remember hearing was the door opening and closing. _It must be Erik..._


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

I walked into the house and it was deathly quiet. Quietly, I placed the groceries in the kitchen then crept through the house. I looked in the bedroom relieved to find Hazel sleeping. _Whew! I thought perhaps somebody came and took Hazel._ My gaze fell to the floor and I found boot prints that didn't belong to me. _So somebody was here!_

"Erik is that you?" Hazel asked with her back turned towards me.

"Yes it is, love." I smiled at her. When I called her 'love' she became rigid. "Are you okay, Hazel?"

She huffed and flipped onto her back in the bed. "Yeah, I am fine, Erik. Don't worry about me. It's just that in the dream you called me 'love' and it's like de' javu."

_That dream must have been that bad. _All of a sudden, I had the urge to not even think about having a child with Hazel. _It would help her very much to relax._ "Well then, how about dinner. I'll go get started." I clapped my hands behind my back. Hazel shot out of bed.

"Oh no you don't, I will make dinner. You will rest for a while." she scolded me. "You have done everything for me on this trip, so I must do something for you." I watched as she walked out of the room and into the kitchen. _She is going to make a fine wife..._

...

Somewhere in town...

"Maxwell, nobody was there. All that was there was the two's belongings." Gabe said. "Isn't that right, Augustus?"

"It sure is, Maxwell. I saw it all with my own two eyes."

_Ugh! These two are pathetic._ "Well, thanks for your help gentlemen." I handed them the money they asked for and with that, they were gone. _I guess I will have to find Hazel and take her back myself._ I looked out the window and watched the people go passing by. "Hazel, I still love you and I hope we will see each other soon..."

...

"How was dinner, Erik?" I asked. He smiled at me and put his hands on his stomach.

"It was the most delicious dinner I have ever had." Erik said politely. "Now, I have a surprise for you." _A surprise for me! Wasn't the proposal enough?_ Erik pulled out a blindfold and tied it around my eyes. Suddenly, I was swept off my feet and carried out of the house. I knew we were going down to the beach because the salty sand's scent wafted in my nose.

"Erik, you better not drop me or toss me in the water!" I warned him.

"Why would I do that now?" he said with sarcasm in his voice. _Oh no! _When I felt the sand beneath my bare feet, I smiled. The blindfold was ripped off and I gasped. Right in front of me was a blanket in the soft sand.

"Are we going to look at the stars?" I asked. Erik nodded and pulled me down onto the blanket beside him. For many hours we gazed up into the night sky looking for the constellations. I felt so happy to be close to Erik and have him hold me around my waist. _This is the best day of my life... _After a few minutes of silence, I asked Erik a question. "Are we going to have a traditional wedding?"

Erik shook his head. "No, Hazel, I'm afraid not." Erik answered and then frowned. "Is that okay with you?"

"It is perfect!" I said and then leaned over and kissed him. _Yawn!_

"You must be tired. It is very late. We should get inside because we have lots of house work to do tomorrow." Erik said and helped me to my feet. It took us a few minutes to get back up to the house. When I was ready for bed, I climbed underneath the covers next to Erik and snuggled up against his warm body. _Sigh... this is a day I shall never forget._

When I woke the next morning, I climbed out of bed and looked out the window. It was gray and raining. _That's fine with me weather!_ Erik was still snoozing when I started dusting off the furniture in the living room and everywhere. By the time Erik woke up, I had finished pretty much everything that needed to be done, except for making breakfast, which I had forgotten about completely. I looked at the grandfather clock in the room. _12:30 it read._

...

"Erik, where did you learn to cook like this?" Hazel exclaimed.

"Madame Giry not only taught you well." I smirked. Last night I had thought of only one thing: _making Hazel mine._ Usually couples do that after the wedding ceremony is over, but since we weren't doing a traditional wedding, when would that happen? After some hard thinking, I eventually decided tonight will be the night.

"Erik!" I snapped back into reality.

"Yes, what is wrong Hazel?"

"You just zoned out for a minute or two. I thought something was wrong." she said worried.

"Well I am just fit as a fiddle." I replied. After we washed dishes, I grabbed Hazel's hand and took her outside. She tried to retreat back indoors, but I didn't let her.

"Erik, stop, I'm going to ruin this dress!" she giggled. I jumped in a puddle, causing her skirt to be soaked. "See what you have done!"

"Yes I do! The more dirty the dress, the faster you will get out of it." I smirked. She blushed and turned her face away. When my back was facing her, I felt water pour over my head. I whirled around and found Hazel with a bucket. _That little brat!_ "Hey! Get back here you!" I chased her. After our time in the rain, we made our way to the room. _I guess it is time!_ We both got undressed and fell into bed next to each other._ This is going to be fun..._


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"Ah, Madame Giry, long time, no see." I smirked. "Gabe and Augustus, thank you. You are dismissed." Antoinette glared at me with her grey eyes. "Well, I told you to keep your mouth shut, Giry, but did you listen?"

"Why would I listen to you, messieur le' Vicomte?" she spat. _This woman is foolish!_

"When I say to keep a secret, you keep it, now you are to go to the house Hazel is at and bring her here." I clenched my fists. "If you dare speak a word of what I am doing or run away, I will have my men hunt you down and kill you." She bowed her head in defeat. I cut the ropes that bound her hands and dropped them to the floor. _This plan is fail proof!_

...

I woke up to find Erik not in bed next to me. A giant yawn escaped my mouth and a head peeked its head into the room. "How are you feeling, Sleeping Beauty?" he asked.

"My body aches like no tomorrow." I replied. "What time is it, Erik?"

"It is one-thirty. Would you like a sandwich for brunch?" I nodded in reply and stood up to get dressed. I picked a red dress that had gold lace at the edges and on the bodice. When I made it to the kitchen table, I stiffly sat down. _Ouch, ouch, ouch! Why did it hurt that much!_ Slowly, I managed to finish the sandwich. Erik walked into the room and began chuckling.

"What's so funny, Erik?" I asked.

"The way your legs are straight as a pole."

"They wouldn't be that way if you had..." I stopped talking when there was a knock at the door. "You go get that, Erik. I'm staying right here until my legs can move without much pain." He happily obliged and went to see who it was.

"Dear god, Antoinette! Why are you here?" _Madame Giry! _I stood and stiffly ran to Erik. When I saw her standing there, I smiled.

"Madame Giry, why are you here?"

"Hazel, you can talk." she weakly smiled at me._ She is here because of Maxwell._ "The reason I am here, you two, Maxwell said he would kill me if I told you, but I am to bring Hazel to Maxwell."

"My wife isn't going anywhere, Antoinette." Erik said and grabbed me around the waist. Madame Giry looked surprised.

"You two are a perfect couple, but I won't split this up. I was caught here along with Meg, but she got away. We are going to America. Erik, take good care of my Hazel." the old woman smiled.

"Thank you, Antoinette. I will take very good care of her." Erik looked down at me and smiled. When we turned to find Madame Giry, she was gone. "Where did she go?" Erik looked surprised.

"Its fine, Erik. She needed to get going and find Meg." I suddenly realized what she said. _I was caught here along with Meg... Maxwell said he would kill me..._ "ERIK! MAXWELL IS IN THE TOWN!

...

Hazel screamed and fell into my arms. She looked up at me her eyes filled with tears. "If he finds me, we'll be parted forever." I stroked her hair and held her close to me.

"He won't lay a finger on you, Hazel, I promise." I whispered into her ear.

"Eri... Erik." she sniffled.

"Yes, my love?" I asked. "What's the matter?"

"Oh nothing, it's just... I was wondering what my marriage name is?" she looked up at me.

"Your marriage name is Hazel... Destler." I said remembering the dream she had. She became rigid in my arms.

"Dest... Destler is my marriage name?" she said with a shaky voice. I nodded and held her close to me. _I hope that she doesn't mind that it's the same as in her dream._ "I like it very much, Erik. Mister and Misses Destler; it sounds very nice on the tongue."

"I'm glad you like it, love."

...

One month later...

Erik had been in his study all day. I held myself in my arms. _How am I going to break it to him?_ _What if he doesn't want it?_ My head was hurting from all the thinking I had been doing later. _Maybe my cycle is just late, yeah late!_ I looked out the window and down towards the beach. "Hey gorgeous." Erik said and he walked into the room.

"What are you looking at, love?" he asked. _My stupid stomach, Erik!_ I had my gaze cast down towards my stomach. _It's nothing yet, Hazel, but it will be soon..._ "Hazel, you don't look to well. Maybe I should go get a doctor from town."

"Erik, that isn't necessary!" I shouted. "I'm just tired, yeah tired." Erik looked at me with his 'I'm still going to do it, even if you don't like it' face. "Ugh! Erik, let's not argue about this. I swear that I am fine, just a little tired, that's all."

He looked at me and grabbed my hand. "Hazel, if anything is bothering you, just tell me. We are married for crying out loud, you can tell me anything!" Erik said looking worried. My face became paler as I felt like spilling my lunch. "God dammnit, Hazel!" he picked me up and carried me outside. Erik whistled and Accipitrem came running and knelt down. I was placed upon his silky back and Erik followed me as well.

When we reached town, Erik asked if anybody knew where a doctor was. We kindly thanked a boy who said his father was and he would lead us to him. Slowly, we made our way to the boy's house. Erik once again carried me inside.

"Does this hurt, mademoiselle?" the doctor asked. I cringed as he pressed on my stomach. "I know this is a weird question, but have you possibly skipped a cycle, mademoiselle?" My face flushed red and sadly I nodded. _Great, Erik is going to flip out._

"I am pretty sure that it's just late, doctor." I said trying to stall as much as I could.

"Mademoiselle, that's not the case here. You are..." _Don't you dare say that word!_ "...pregnant." he finished. I nodded in agreement. _What is Erik going to think?_ The doctor and I left the examination room and we found Erik sitting in the waiting room. "Monsieur, we have some very exciting news for you." the doctor chimed.

Erik looked up at me and saw the color drain from my face. "You are going to be a father! Congratulations, sir, and I would recommend getting a midwife." I glared at the doctor from where I stood. "Now, if you please, I must return to my work. Have a good day." I watched as that wretched man left the room. _Erik, please don't be mad with me?_

"Hazel..." Erik tapped my shoulder. I turned and saw the look in his eyes. "Hazel, why didn't you just tell me?"

"The... the... dream I had..." I stuttered. The room around me spun and I crashed to the floor.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

My eyes fluttered open. The morning light poured through the bedroom window and scattered all around the room. _Where is Erik?_ "Erik!" I yelled from my spot in the bed. Footsteps came up the stairs and down the hall. I was relieved when Erik's worried face peeked inside the room. "Thank goodness you are okay."

"Good morning, Hazel." Erik smiled. "How are you feeling?"

"I am feeling a little better than I was yesterday; the baby is doing better too." Erik walked over to the bed and kneeled next to me. "I am sorry that I didn't tell you, Erik. I was scared that you would not want it."

"Hazel, why would you go and think of something like that?" Erik asked. "Of course I'd want our baby. Children are miracles, don't you know?" I started laughing when Erik said that children were miracles. "What did I say that was so funny?"

"My mother said "Children can be miracles at times, but usually, they are pains in our rear ends."." Erik started laughing with me. His dark melodious laugh filled the light filled the room causing a chill to run down my spine. "I love you, Erik."

"I love you, as well, Hazel." Erik said helping me to my feet. "What do you want for breakfast, my dear?"

Maxwell's Pov

"Those back stabbing Giry's." I muttered to myself. Slowly standing up from my chair, I turned and looked out the window. _This time they got away, but Hazel won't... _"Hazel, when I find you, you'll be sorry you ever left with that wretched ghost." I grabbed my coat and opened the door to face the springtime breeze. Quickly, I made my way down the road and to the local bar.

Erik's Pov

Hazel was on her 7th month and was acting moody as usual, but I still loved her more than ever. Not once had we received word of Maxwell which was good for Hazel. I didn't need her stressing over it with the baby on the way. Every now and then, Hazel would wake up screaming from horrible nightmares. It scared me every time her scream rang throughout the house. Recently, the dreams kept getting worse. Just this morning, Hazel woke up crying for me.

"Erik, I... I don't think I can take these dreams anymore." Hazel said as she sat next to me at the piano we had at our house. "They keep getting... getting..." She broke down crying. I pulled her into my arms and held her to my chest. I breathed in her intoxicating scent. She smelt of the ocean breeze and lilacs. _My poor Hazel..._

"I know that they are, Hazel." I whispered. "I know..." She continued crying for a few more minutes. I tilted her head up towards me. "Hazel, crying won't help anything." Finally, she wiped the tears from her face and she smiled. "There's the smile I've been waiting for."

"Oh, Erik; you do know I love you?" I nodded. "Erik, can you play a song for me?"

"Sure." I said and started playing the piano. Not before too long, Hazel leaned up against my shoulder and fell asleep.

Hazel's Pov

As Erik played the piano, I grew very tired. Soon I found myself leaning up against his shoulder. When I woke up, I found myself lying in the bedroom. I most likely had slept for a few hours. The house was unusually quiet, which scared me. Slowly, I stood up from the bed and walked into the hallway. The house was dark when I walked through it.

"You looking for somebody?" a voice came from behind me. Suddenly, the scent of alcohol filled my senses. _It couldn't be!_ I turned around and found myself looking at Maxwell. "You're pregnant, I see. So that monster knocked you up."

"Why can't you just leave me alone?" I asked trying to hide my fear. Maxwell began walking towards me. I started backing up when I bumped into a soft wall. _That's strange... I didn't know walls were..._

"Hazel, are you okay?" Erik's voice made me jump.

"Erik, I saw him in the hall. It was... was... Max..." I began crying. _He wasn't really here... It was just my mind playing tricks on me._

"Oh, my poor Hazelnut." Erik said holding me to him.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

**Erik's Pov**

I paced back and forth in front of the bedroom door. Hazel was crying out in pain on the other side. _Is giving birth that painful? I don't think I want to know. _She had gone into labor a few hours ago and was still going at it. When I no longer heard my wife crying, I walked towards the door. Hazel's midwife walked out of the room and smiled. "You may go in now." I quickly entered the room and looked at the bed where Hazel was laying. Tears filled my eyes as I saw thebundlein her arms.

"Can you believe it, Erik? We have a little boy!" Hazel said excitedly. "I believe you owe me a new book." _I forgot about our bet..._ I sat down in the chair next to her bed and sighed. Before I could stop her, she handed me my son. I looked at him and smiled.

"What are we going to name him?" I asked holding the little ones hand. Hazel thought for a little while.

"How does Robert sound?" Hazel suggested.

"I think it is a perfect name."

**Hazel's Pov**

Giving birth had taken so long and made me tired. I was glad I had a little boy. Erik seemed pretty happy as well. After I fed Robert and had Erik put him in his cradle, I tried getting some sleep. Every time I would close my eyes, I felt like somebody was watching me. I knew it wasn't Erik because he was in his music room playing a piano. I looked over at the window and didn't see anything. _You are just tired. Nobody is watching you right now..._ Suddenly, there was a taping at the window. Again I looked over at the window. This time I screamed and fell out of the bed. I saw Maxwell at the window grinning at me. Erik came running in and quickly picked me up. "Hazel, what is the problem?"

"I just saw Maxwell at the window, Erik. He was watching me." I cried. When we heard Robert start crying, Erik left to the baby's room to get him quieted down. While I sat on the bed, the house seemed to get unusually quiet. "Erik?" I called out. Thinking my decision through, I stood and walked towards the door. As I was about to grab the door knob, the door flew open and there stood Maxwell. He was standing there with Robert in his arms. _Not my baby!_ "Maxwell, you are crazy! Please give me my child." I begged.

"You must come with me, Hazel. Only then can you have your baby."Maxwell said grabbing my arm. I had no idea how my tired body would take all this movement. When we got outside, I was helped into a carriage. Maxwell climbed in and sat next to me.

"Where is Erik, Maxwell?" I asked.

"He is back at your house lying unconscious." he answered. I looked out the window and over towards the forest we were approaching. Suddenly, the carriage stopped. _Please don't let it be the same men that... they're bandits..._ The door was flung open and a rough looking man ordered us to get out. Maxwell put the baby in my arms and shoved me out of the carriage. "You may take her." Maxwell said to the man. The bandit grunted in approval and started forcing me to walk forward. I glanced over my shoulder at the carriage and gasped in horror. It had been set aflame and was now burning. I barely heard Maxwell's screams from inside. Tears filled up my vision. _I didn't want any of this to happen. _Robert was snuggled up against me. I hadn't noticed, but the bandit that was escorting me to their camp had placed his coat on my shoulders, but when I did notice, I thanked him.

**Erik's Pov**

I opened my eyes and found myself to be lying on the floor of the music room Remembering seeing Maxwell, I jumped up to my feet and ran to the bedroom. When I saw that Hazel wasn't there, I did a thorough check of all the rooms in the house, but when it dawned on me that he had taken her and Robert, it hit like bullet to the chest. I screamed out in agony and ran out to the stables. As fast as I could, I saddled Accipitrem and made my way to town. _He wouldn't stay here with her._ As I rode out the other side of town, the smallest amount of smoke was on the horizon. _The bandits got their carriage..._

It was like I was in a dream as I approached the smoldering pile of debris. I fell to my knees and cried. As the sun rose, and the burnt carriage had stopped filling the sky with a wee bit of smoke, I began digging through the ashes. There were only two bodies I found, and both were bigger than Hazel's. _She is alive still and when I find her, whoever took her will die a slow, agonizing, and painful death..._

* * *

**A/N: Sorry if this chapter is a little short. Next chapter, I will try to make it longer. Please review!**


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: The last chapter! Yay! Please enjoy!

When we reached the camp, I was told to sit down on a log that was next to a fire. For hours, I sat on that log with my little Robert snuggled up against me; I was allowed to feed him in privacy as well. The sky soon changed from grey to black and I was very tired at this point. Finally, about 20 men rode into the camp on horses. I shuttered as I looked at each and every man. They were all quite big and looked like they hadn't bathed in weeks or changed their clothes. One of the men was dressed a bit nicer than the others and looked cleaner, but still was big. _That must be the leader..._ The bandit that had escorted me to the camp walked over to the leader and talked to him. I knew that they were discussing me when both looked over at me. Clutching Robert against my chest a little more, I looked away from the two.

"What is your name?" a voice shook me from my mind. I looked up and saw the leader standing there.

"Hazel Destler, monsieur." I said. _Stay calm, Hazel. Don't let these men get to you._

I most likely wasn't supposed to hear the two whispering, but I did. The leader whispered to my escort "Francois, you know where to take her."

"Right boss; take her to the abandoned house." Francois whispered back. I looked away as they stopped whispering and parted. Francois walked over to me and grabbed my arm. "Walk right in front of me and don't try anything funny." he said. My feet were aching and I was nearly sleeping on my feet. When I collapsed from fatigue, Francois picked me up and carried me bridal style for the rest of the way. As my eyes were closing sleepily, I remember seeing a small cottage that was painted sea green...

Erik's Pov

I started walking into the forest towards where I saw smoke rising up above the trees. It looked pretty far away and I hoped that they didn't make Hazel walk the entire time. _Please let my wife and child be alright..._ When I heard a commotion up in the bushes ahead, I hid behind a tree. I slowly peeked to see what it was and sighed in relief; it was just a rabbit. Once again, I started walking towards the smoke. As I grew closer to their camp, light was shining throughout the forest which made it difficult to hide.

"Let's hope Francois hasn't lost our guest already." said a man on the edge of the clearing. "He's done that the last two times."

Another man replied "I agree with you, my friend. Did you see how beautiful she was, mon ami?"

"The man who is the father of her child is a lucky one. It is sad that we split the pair apart, but maybe she will take one of us, eh pal?" the first man said. I growled at his words. _You touch her and I shall..._ My thoughts were interrupted when I heard a voice behind me.

"You must be Hazel's husband." I turned to see a man standing there. "Follow me quietly. I know where she is."

Hazel's Pov

When I woke up, I looked around and wondered where I was. _Oh yes, I am at the sea green cottage in the woods._ I suddenly heard Robert crying from a cradle in the room. Quickly, I rose from the bed and walked over to the old white cradle. A paroxysm of cries and screams emitted from the cradle. _Oh my poor baby..._ Feeling inspired by the dim light of the morning, I picked Robert up and held him in my arms as I sang.

"_Constant as the stars above  
Always know that you are loved  
And my love shining in you_

_Will help you make your dreams come true  
Will help your dreams come true  
The lamb lies down and rests it head  
On its mother's downy bed  
Dolphin plays in the moonlight's glow  
And butterfly dreams of a violet rose  
Dreams of a violet rose  
I'll cradle you in my arms tonight  
As sun embraces the moonlight  
The clouds will carry us off tonight  
Our dreams will run deep like the sea  
Our dreams will run deep like the sea  
Constant as the stars above  
Always know that you are loved  
And my love shining in you  
Will help you make your dreams come true  
Will help your dreams come true"_

Slowly, I placed him back in the cradle. _Where are you, Erik? I really thought that you'd save me this time..._ "Stop it this instant, Hazel." I said to myself out loud. I looked out the window in the room and stared up at the great towering trees that surrounded the house. "Erik will save me; I know he will."

Erik's Pov

The man and I quickly, but silently, made our way around the edge of the camp. We began making our way through the thick forest. Where we were going, I had no idea, but could guess it was some sort of prison for captives. _I hope her and Robert are alright..._ Suddenly, we came to an abrupt halt. "There is a guard. I'll go and tell him that he was summoned by the leader and I was sent to take his place." he said and started walking forward.

"Okay; I'll hide somewhere in the bushes." I answered. From my hiding spot, I watched the man walk towards the guard at the front of the house. He spoke a few words then the guard stood and made his way towards the camp. After he left, I stood and ran towards the door. I quickly opened the door and rushed inside. "Hazel!" I called out. Suddenly, a door opened and her face peeked out. A smile was lit up on her face.

"Erik! I knew you would save me!" she said as she wrapped her arms around me. I held her there for few seconds. Panic filled my mind once more.

"Where is Robert?" I asked with concern.

"He's in that room sleeping." she pointed at the door she came out of. "Now can we get out of here? Hazel asked. I nodded and went to get Robert. As I stared down into the crib and saw my son, I felt so happy. My life was changed from a pit of darkness and despair to having a loving and caring family. "Erik, let's go before the guard gets back." I heard from the doorway. I picked up Robert and walked over to Hazel. Carefully, I placed him in her arms.

"Let's go."

Hazel's Pov ten years later

"Robert, please be careful with your sister." I said as I watched him carry her around in his arms. It had been ten years since I had Robert and we were doing great. Recently, I gave birth to Diana. Erik was so excited to have a daughter and I am glad he was. He always took time off of his music to come and spend time with his family. My life has gotten better since I could talk again. Sometimes, I tell Robert about how his father heroically saved my life multiple times. Every time, he is fascinated by the stories.

"Robert, bring Diana over here." Erik said from the back door. I looked over at him and smiled. "Hey there beautiful." he said to me as Robert put his sister in Erik's arms.

"Mother, can I go play on the beach?" Robert asked. I looked over at Erik and he nodded.

"Yes you may, Robert, but don't get soaking wet again." I said. When Robert was gone, Erik sat down next to me and held my hand.

"How are you my beloved?" Erik asked.

"I am quite fine." I replied. My mind was wandering over the past when I realized something. "Erik, do you know what I think the best music is?" He looked at me with confusion.

"What is it...?"

"Silence; silence is the best music."

The End!

A/N: This story is officially complete. The song in this chapter is called Constant as the Stars Above. See ya every peoples!


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